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Consequences of European Union enlargement for freedom of movement between Council of Europe member states
 Recommendation 1648 (2004)

Doc. 10219
 21 June 2004

Reply from the Committee of Ministers
 adopted at the 888th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (16 June 2004)

1.         The Committee of Ministers notes with interest Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1648 (2004) on the consequences of European Union enlargement for freedom of movement between Council of Europe member states, which it has transmitted to member states for information.  The Committee of Ministers recalls that at its 112th and 113th Ministerial sessions (Strasbourg, 14-15 May 2003 and Chisinau, 5-6 November 2003), the freedom of movement between Council of Europe member states was referred to and the Ministers’ Deputies were instructed to pursue their work with a view to identifying possible new measures to be taken by the Council of Europe in this area, taking into account the Schengen Agreement and the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly on this subject.

2.         The Committee of Ministers would like to inform the Parliamentary Assembly that it has agreed to give the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) ad-hoc terms of reference concerning the freedom of movement (883rd meeting, 5 May 2004). The CDCJ has thus been invited to draw up a list of existing good practices, before 30 November 2004, relating to the movement of persons between Council of Europe member states, whether these be multilateral measures, bilateral measures, individual measures taken by member states or measures derived from instruments adopted within the Council of Europe.  In this context it has been asked to take note of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1648 (2004). On the same occasion, the Committee of Ministers invited the CDCJ to express its opinion on the recommendation.

3.         Finally, the Committee of Ministers would like to inform the Assembly that at its meeting on 11-13 May 2004, the CDCJ adopted a Plan of Action concerning the accomplishment of the ad hoc terms of reference and the drafting of an opinion on Recommendation 1648 (2004).

4.         The Committee of Ministers will not fail to inform the Assembly of the outcome of the work thus undertaken.